Vasantha Yogananthan is a French photographer whose most notable work is a photographic retelling of the Sanskrit Epic, The Ramayana, Yogananthan choosing to publish his work in 7 books corresponding to the 7 books that make up the original tale. With previous experience as a painter, he shoots his images using film (alternating between staged and natural compositions), and then has them hand painted to fit into his chosen colour scheme. Yogananthan shows how visible aspects of The Ramayana is in everyday life in South Asia, and going on trips to India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka in order to authentically portray the culture he is depicting.
This is one of Yogananthan’s images from the first chapter of his long-term photobook retelling of The Ramayana, it depicts a man crouching by a misty river where there is no sign of the horizon. The colours are mostly muted, contrasting the yellow of the main figure’s yellow jacket, standing out from the empty grey fog surrounding it. This blank grey sky is a result of Yogananthan’s conscious decision as this image would have been taken on monochrome film and then hand tinted to create the desired mood he was looking for, an air of mystery and potential as this photo is a part of the first chapter of The Ramayana, introducing the audience to the fantastical story. Yogananthan creates visual interest by drawing attention to the texture of the rocks at the bottom of the image, as well as including the figure’s reflection in the water. There is a lot of seemingly empty space at the top of the image, making the figure appear small and insignificant while also making them centred creating a contrasting sense of importance. As there is not much in the image to focus on, the audience begins to question the meaning of the man and the strange environment he is in, allowing Yogananthan to introduce his text of a retelling of The Ramayana. The provides context for the viewer while still leaving aspects up for interpretation.